Empitsu to Foku Cafe: A Second Home for Children in Atago Shopping Street

By Shiori Orimi

At a small, stylish cafe in the old Atago shopping street, you can often hear the cheerful voices of children calling, “Kana-sensei, I’m home.”

This is more than just a place that serves delicious cakes and coffee, it is also a second home for children waiting for their parents to finish their work. Kana Hatayama opened on June 28, 2021. The name of the store is Empitsu to Foku (“pencil and fork”) because the cafe and after-school enrichment program are held in the same building. 

“I want to contribute to the development of the shopping district through the operation of cafeterias and after-school enrichment programs, aiming to create a shopping district where children can enjoy going home,” said Kana with a smile. Ms. Hatayama pursues the best facilities for his customers without compromise.

Ms. Hatayama pursues the best facilities for her customers without compromise.

“Our motto is customer-centric, which means we put our customers first.”

She dreamed of creating a family restaurant attached to the after-school enrichment program and opened such a facility. The hardest part of building this facility is finding a property. She chose a two-story building to separate the cafeteria and after-school enrichment programs. 

Ms. Hatayama values the power of vegetables that are produced without using greenhouses, and local vegetables that are harvested in the areas where they are provided. Most of the vegetables used in the dishes are grown in season in Kochi Prefecture. When she goes to other prefectures, she often visits local farmers’ markets.

The signboard menu of the cafeteria is the Higawari lunch of the daily menu. She checks the weather forecast two days ahead and to decide on the menu and get prepared to cook a refreshing dish on a hot day, or a sour dish on a rainy day. 

 “Between you and me, I don’t enjoy school, but this is my favorite place,” said a powerful third -grade boy with a wide smile. A 4th grade girl added enthusiastically, “I like it here because I can make parfaits and hang out with my friends.” 

From 14:00 on weekdays, the 2nd floor becomes a members-only after-school program. Payment methods can be selected from coupons or monthly payments to meet the needs of students and families. A set of 5 cards costs 4,950 yen, and the monthly payment is 13,200 yen. Currently, there are 6 students from 1st grade to 4th grade, and they spend time until their parents come home.

After doing their homework, the children make snacks and play educational games. These after-school programs are also particular about snacks. For example, an after-school enrichment program offers fruit and sweets such as cookies and cakes that are sold as desserts in the cafeteria. On the other hand, snacks such as potato chips and candy are not provided here. In order to create an environment where children can easily talk to the staff, these after-school programs are able to hold classes in small groups and teach homework one-on-one.

Children can enjoy themselves in a homely atmosphere. On the day I went to the interview, there were four students, and they were making handicrafts and accessories using beads. These goods were selected by the teacher for each student, and the children enjoyed interacting with the teacher. In addition, this after-school enrichment program places great importance on sharing information with parents. For example, she uses the official LINE or contact book of the store. On the store’s official LINE, not only do students report back home, but they also send individual photos to each guardian of their fun in the after-school enrichment program. In the contact book, the temperature of friends, what they ate for snacks, what they did, and the progress of their homework are written. Also, out of the desire for parents to see the handwriting of students, teachers sometimes encourage children to draw four-panel comics in contact books. 

Ms. Hatayama carries out various activities to contribute to the shopping district. As one of them, we hold a parent-child event once a month. The content of the event varies depending on the month, such as flower arrangements, free dental examinations, and AED training. June is dental hygiene month. During events and dental checkups in June, they handed out a dentist map of Atago Shopping Street for free. It will be held in a small number of people so that children can act like themselves. 

Some students look forward to coming. There are people who come to Kochi from outside the prefecture for the sake of the store, and there are parents who express their gratitude. All of them support this store. This facility, which celebrated its 2nd anniversary on June 28, 2023, when I first interviewed it, will continue to warmly welcome children, local residents, and customers at the entrance to Atago Shopping Street.

Kana Hatayama’s ambition continues.She will continue to take on various challenges in order to bring smiles to as many people as possible who use Atago Shopping Street. 

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